Ear-trumpet.



PATENTED JULY 31, 1906.

0. W. LEVALLEY.

EAR TRUMPET.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18. mos.

Quezon:

cal

' and UNITED S AT S PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTOPHER W. LEVALLEY, F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

' i EAR-TRUMPET.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER W. LE- VALLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the countyof Milwaukee, Wisconsin, have invented a new and use-- reentrant tube of the instrument having inserted therein a stopper. Fig; 4 is a side view of the stopper removed. Fig. 5 is a plan view ofthe same, and Fig. 6 is a view in elevation of the two parts of the stopper separated.

The ear-trumpet to which I have applied my 1m rovements is in its general construc-" tion 0 a type well known. It consists of a sound-receiving shell A of bell shape and a conducting-tube B, leading from the shell rovided at its end with an ear-tip b. The aring end of the shell is left open'to receive sound-waves, while the opposite end curves inwa d and forms a sort of crown C for deflectin the sound-waves that enter through theopen end a of the shell. The

- tube B extends through the sideof the shell into the same and has its inner open end arranged opposite ,the crown C," so that the sound-waves deflected thereby will pass into the conducting-tube. In ;ear-trum ets of this class as heretoforeconstructed-t e rearward or crown end of the shell. has been closed and serves merely as a. sound-deflector. An instrument thus constructed canreceive the sound-waves from one direction only-that is, from the front or from thedirection toward which the open-end of the trumpet is pointed. I'have discovered-that .verylmproved results are attained bylform ing the shell with an opening for the admis-' sion of sound-waves from the crown or rear end thereof. I preferthat to this end of the shell there should be attached a rentrant conducting-tube D, extending a reater or less distance into the portion of t e tube B that is situated within the shell A. The best results are attained by so uniting the larger or flaring-end of the tube D with the edge of the crown C of the shell that the tube is a practical continuation of the shell, thoughI do .not wishto be limited to this 1 walls of the tubes Band D arepreferably Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed September is. 1905. stun No. 273.998.

the wall of the-shell, but the length of t e near its lower end This cone G is ada'ipted particular the stopper F. methodof attachment or connection. The

. Patented. July 31,1906.

. parallel, andithetube B is sufliciently largerthan the tube D to leave between-the'tubes an annular space of ample, size to conduct the sound-waves that, entering the shell at the end a, are' deflected by the crown into the tube. As shown in the drawings, the end of the tube D is extended into. the part of the tube B whereit curves to pass out throu h inner reentrant tube is 'not of the essence of my invention. y 1

It will be understood that an instrument such as Ihave described is adapted tofreely 2 70 receive the. sound-waves from its opposite ends, and it has been demonstrated t at not only does this increase the volume of sound conducted to the ear, but it gives to such sound a much purer and more natural tone than that resultin from the use of the ordinary ear-trurnpet iaving an opening at the front only.

- It is a well-known fact that deaf persons can hear better under, certain conditions than others and that the acuteness of their hearing'varies'at different times. I therefore provide the instrument which I have described with a stop er that is arranged to close the tube D, sue a stopper being represented detached in'Fig. 4 an lace in the instrument in Fig. 3. This enab es theuser of the hearing instrument such as I have described to largely adapt it "to the circumstances under which it is used. Forinstance, for ordinary conversation where the person conversin with the user of the instrument is in front 0 him it might be desirable to employ the stopper in order that disturbing sounds coming from other directions than that of the converser should be very largely cut off. .On theother hand, for concerts,

especially those taking place in a closed hall, thebetter effect is experienced with the stopper removed. The stopperis preferably of the shape and constructlon indicated in the drawings. It consists of a plug or stopperv proper, F, ada ted to fit closely within the outer end of t e tube D. It is preferabl held therein by friction and is provided with a handle f.

I prefer to combine with the. stopper a coneG, adapted to extend into the tube'D to fit by friction over the shouldered en .9 of

I The 0 en end a of the shell is preferably provide with a foraminous screen, such as IOO is usually employed in instruments of this character.-

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An ear-trumpet having its opposite ends open for the direct entrance of soundwaves, and a conductin tube opening in the interior of the shell an arran ed to receive the sound-waves entering bot ends of the shell, substantially as set forth.

2. An ear-trumpet comprising a shell having one end open and the opposite end shaped to deflect thesound-waves entering the open end and having the deflecting end also open to permit the direct entrance of sound-waves, and a conducting-tube having its open end arranged opposite to the deflecting end of the shell, substantially as set forth.

3. An ear-trumpet comprising a shell having one end 0 en and its opposite end formed into a defiect1ng-crown, the crown end of the shell being also open for the direct passage of sound waves, and a sound-condncting tube extending into the shell and having its open end. arranged posite to the deflectingcrown of the shel and also the opening in the crown end thereof, substantially asset forth.

4. An ear-truinpet comprising a shell, a sound--conducting tube extending into the interior of the shell, and an open reentraxit tube leading ihom'one end of the shell into the said sound-conducting tube, substantially as set forth.

5. An ear-trumpet comprising a shell having one end open and its opposite end formed into a defiec'ting-crovm,a reentr-ant 0 en- Waves entering through either end of the shell, and a stopper for closing one of the said openings, substantially as set forth.

7. In an ear-trumpet comprising a shell having one end open and its opposite end formed into a sound-defiectin' crownv an open rentrant tube connecte with said crown, a sound-conducting tube extending into the shell and having its inner open en arranged to receive the sound-waves deflected by the crown portion of the shell and those entering through the rentrant tube, and a stopper arranged to close the reentrant tube, substantially as set forth.

8. An ear-trumpet comprising a shell open at one end and having its oppositeend formed to produce a sound-deflecting crown, an open rentrant tube connected with the said crown end of the shell and extending thereinto, a sound-conductin tube the inner end of which enters the shel and is arranged to receive both the sound-waves that are defiectedby thecrown and those that enter through the reentrant tube, and a stopper for the reentrant tube comprisin a plug F and a cone G attached thereto, su stantially as set forth.

9. An ear-trumpet comprising a shell having an open receiving end for the soundwaves and the opposite end shaped to deflect the sound-Waves and a closed reentrant shell passing into a sound-conducting tube to conduct the sound-waves to the ear, substan-' tially as set forth.

10. An ear-trumpet comprising a shell having one end open and its opposite end formed into a deflecting-crown; a reentrant art'attached to the crown end of the shel and a sound-conducting tube extending into the shell, its inner portion surrounding and being substantially concentric with the said re'e'ntrant part of the shell and having the'open end 0 the sound-conducting tube arranged toreceive the sound-waves deflected by the crown portion of the shell, substantially as set fort I CHRlSTOPHER W. LEV ALLEY. W itnesses 'WM. 0. Farm,

VLAs'rA I. KLOFANDA. 

